6 comments:

>>Is anyone drawing comic strips as well as this today? I've yet to see them!<<

If you mean paying such attention to detail, backgrounds and facial expressions, I would say there are, but they are few and far between. I think there are several reasons one could attribute to this, but my LEAST favorite would be that modern artists are lazier than older artists. I think a lot of modern artists have to wear several hats now days (art, colors, letters, self promotion, HR duties, ect) The days when an artist could walk into an office, surrounded by other artists where a spirit of cooperation and competition engendered a constant leveling-up of ones craft are gone.

I was thinking mainly of British comics, JS, where I can't think of one cartoonist who is currently doing the kind of detail that Ken did with seeming ease. There must surely be some who are capable of it (I would hope), but there appears to be a tendency nowadays to go down the 'simple look' route. Perhaps it's because of some TV animation being as basic as possible (to reduce the expense), and cartoonists following that example. However, if so, it also attracts to the 'industry' (not that there really is one in Britain any more) those who can't draw beyond that standard, who get work because it's the 'style of the moment' that some editors are looking for. Who knows for sure 'though? I think Ken's style would have fitted (or fit, as you Americans say) right in at Mad Magazine. What you say is also true of course.

Yeah, I could see Ken Reid working at MAD, a thought that never occurred to me until you mentioned it here; I always felt his natural home was the British weeklies of the 60s. Sort of a time capsule effect as far as I experience it when looking at the art, as in it takes me back. Great to see all of this Reid art - as you've said yourself - you do spoil us. Needs a decent scan job to reproduce all of that detail as well, which many postings elsewhere on the web do not take account of. Thanks again.

Ken's art would've certainly have fitted the comicbook incarnation of Mad, PC, because, in some ways, it was similar to Basil Wolverton's art, but it would also have suited the magazine version - 'though he'd needed to have drawn less panels per page obviously, else it'd have been too sore on the eyes with all that detail. It won't be too long now before I've got published examples of every page of Odhams and IPC art he ever drew, I think.

Oh yeah! He would have been a perfect fit at Mad!You also bring up an excellent point about the influence of Television animation (like Adventure Time and it's peers.) I love Adventure Time, but there's no denying that the draftsmanship takes a far back seat to the script - and that's work out fine for the show. However, it's also encouraged some downright horrible looking imitators.

btw - Thank you so much for posting these pages. I love seeing the old English comics. I was exposed to them briefly when I was young and feel in love with the style and format.

STUDIO 77

About the artist:

From 1985 to 2000 A.D. (little joke there), I contributed to a variety of high profile comics and magazines for various companies.

For IPC/FLEETWAY/EGMONT, I freelanced as a lettering and logo artiston various weekly comics and monthly magazines, and also as a resize comic artistandspot illustratoron pocket books, summer specials and annuals.

ForMARVEL U.K., BLACK LIBRARY, REDAN and USBORNE BOOKS, I again freelanced as a lettering artist, also working as arestoration artistfor MARVEL U.S., restoring and re-creating certain pages of JACK KIRBY art for their MARVEL MASTERWORKS editions.

I also lettered the MARVELMAN sample pages submitted to MARVEL U.S. when they were considering acquiring the character, which - as we all now know - they DID.

Supplied comic strips, cartoons and illustrated advertisements for local business campaigns and newspaper publication on a professional basis since the age of 16. Did my first paid art job for publication at 14 or 15 for Lanarkshire Education Board.

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